Jobs to go at Edinburgh Uni as principal blames Rachel Reeves' budget
Sir Peter Mathieson says redundancies are unavoidable as National Insurance hikes have added millions of pounds to costs
Last updated 18th Nov 2024
Jobs are going at Edinburgh University with the principal blaming hikes in National Insurance.
Sir Peter Mathieson says redundancies are unavoidable as Rachel Reeves' budget has added millions of pounds to costs.
He said the university will be taking "a series of actions" to address these pressures, as well as the upcoming increase to employers' national insurance contributions.
Earlier this month, Dundee University warned cuts to staffing levels are "inevitable" as a result of a projected deficit of up to £30 million.
Issuing a statement on Monday, Sir Peter said: "The university costs £120 million each month to run.
"In the context of the recent sector challenges around international student recruitment, increasing staff costs since the pandemic, and the unsustainable levels of funding for Scottish and other UK students, our outgoings are consistently higher than our income.
"In response to this situation and recent developments with regards to national insurance, we have concluded that we need to take a series of actions, which will include selective voluntary and, if unavoidable, compulsory redundancies.
"We will be offering staff the opportunity to find out more through a variety of online and in-person meetings, and we will continue to work with our unions and managers to help colleagues through these changes.
"I don't underestimate how unsettling this news will be, however, it is important that I am honest about the scale of the challenge we have and transparent about the actions we need to take to address it."